Menu

Hawaii issues alert for brain-invading parasite transmitted by snails

The Hawaiian island of Maui is experiencing an uptick in infections stemming from a parasitic roundworm that invades the human brain. Or, in less scientific parlance, brain slugs. In the past three months alone, health officials have confirmed six cases of the picturesquely named rat lungworm disease, with three additional cases still pending investigation. The trend is worrisome beyond the obvious: Maui has seen only two cases of the disease over the past decade. The grownup version of the Angiostrongylus…